Forest Fires
by loneghost13
Summary: A collection of short one-shots and ficlets featuring Keith and Pidge.
1. Movie night

**A/N:** As I put it in the summary, this will be a collection of short one-shots and ficlets featuring Keith and Pidge, along with other characters or ships.

This one is based on a Voltron Modern AU fic that I wrote (and deleted) not so long ago, in which Keith and Lance are roommates and Lance works at a nearby café called Voltron.

Hope you all enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron or the characters that appear in this story, they belong to Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos.

* * *

Lost in his thoughts, Lance silently opened the door and entered his apartment, without even bothering to turn on the lights. Today had surely been a rough day, and after eight long hours of stressful work at Voltron, he just wanted to go to bed and sleep until it was Christmas.

"Thank goodness tomorrow is my day off…" the boy muttered to himself and breathed a sigh of relief.

Barely containing a yawn, the boy went straight to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water before drinking it in one go. Once his thirst had been quenched, Lance placed the glass in the sink and left the kitchen, glancing briefly at his cellphone. It was almost 1:00 AM.

Fighting to keep his eyes open, he put his phone back into his pocket and made a beeline for his bedroom, doing his best to not make much noise despite how exhausted he was.

As he passed by the living room the boy noticed the TV was on, with the end credits of Star Wars still scrolling down the screen.

Shaking his head, Lance took the remote control from the coffee table and turned off the TV.

 _"Seriously, Keith needs to do something about his bad habit of leaving the TV on after watching a movie."_

Rubbing tiredly his face, Lance continued his path down the hall, taking off his jacket in the process.

 _"Oh man, I can't wait to strip down these clothes and get into my soft, warm, comfy bed…"_

But it was in that moment, just as he was walking past Keith's room, which for some reason had its door open when he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

Keith was lying on his bed with his eyes closed, sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression on his pale face. And curled up next to him, covered with his roommate's red blanket, there was a familiar girl with short brown hair.

* * *

 **A/N:** Although that I'm currently working on two requests that hopefully will be published before Season 8 airs (which is within two weeks, but hey no pressure at all), if anyone has any requests or suggestions for prompts, please don't be shy to leave a review or PM me.

Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	2. Dream lantern

**A/N:** Hey everyone, I'm officially on winter vacation now, just in time for Season 8!

This AU is mostly based on the 2016 movie Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name), from Makoto Shinkai. I totally recommend this movie if you are a fan of anime and haven't seen it.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

 _He smiled fondly at her and grabbed her hand, taking the girl by surprise._

 _"What… What are you doing?" she asked confusedly, watching as the boy pulled out a pen and started writing something on her open palm._

 _"Just so we don't forget things when we wake up… Let's write down our names." he told her and the girl nodded, a slight blush dusting her cheeks._

* * *

The morning sunlight streamed in through the window, waking up Pidge. Sitting up in the bed, the girl rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.

 _"Where… Where am I?"_

Looking down at her body, she frowned.

 _"Why… Why I'm wearing a red T-shirt and pants instead of my pajamas? And why the heck my chest seems so flat!?"_

Jumping out of bed, Pidge left the bedroom and stepped into the hallway.

 _"I need to find a bathroom…"_

Luckily, it didn't take too long for her to figure out which room was the bathroom, considering it was the only one which didn't have its door closed. Rushing inside, she quickly approached the sink and turned on the tap, splashing water into her face.

 _"This is a dream, it has to be a dream…"_

Looking up, she stared at the mirror above the sink and her breath caught in her throat.

A black-haired boy with a panicked expression in his dark eyes was staring right back at her in the mirror.

 _"I'm…I'm a boy!?_ "

* * *

" _I'm…I'm a girl!?"_

Standing in front of the mirror, Keith lifted a hand to touch his hair and his fingers brushed light brown locks instead of deep black.

 _"No, no, no, no, this can't be happening to me… What I'm going to do!? It's not like I can ask anyone for help, no one would believe me if I tell them I'm trapped inside this girl's body…"_

Suddenly someone knocked loudly on the bedroom's door, startling him.

"Katie! Are you done getting ready for school? We leave in five minutes!" called a male voice, his tone laced with impatience.

"Okay! J…Just a moment!" Keith managed to shout and resisted the urge to roll his eyes at how girlish his voice sounded.

 _"This is going to be a long day…"_

* * *

 **A/N:** If anyone is interested in sending me any requests or suggestions for prompts, just leave a review or PM me.

Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	3. First kiss

**A/N:** This is a kiss scene featuring Keith and Pidge that I published two weeks ago and rewrote yesterday for no reason after watching The Vow (it makes my heart flutter every time I watch it, don't judge me).

Takes place in a Voltron Future AU, six months after the Season 8 finale.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

"Actually," he said and stared into her brown eyes. "I came to see you today because I realized there's one more thing I need to do before I leave tomorrow with Acxa, Zethrid and Ezor."

"Really?" asked Pidge and crossed her arms. "And what is it?"

"This."

Then he lowered his head and before she had time to react, his gloved hand cupped her cheek and he kissed her.

The girl gasped in shock and instinctively threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him as if she was about to fall. Noticing her discomfort, he pulled back slightly to look at her worriedly, but before he could say anything, Pidge stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips again to his, closing her eyes as she did it.

It was like a flame had ignited inside his chest; closing his eyes as well, Keith eagerly returned the kiss, savoring the sweet taste of caramel in her mouth and feeling her smile against his lips.

Never in his entire life he had thought he would want to be with someone the way he was with Pidge, so close that he could hear the beating of her heart as if it was his own.

When the lack of breath became unbearable, Keith reluctantly broke the kiss, resting gently his forehead against hers.

"I should have done this a lot sooner." he whispered, almost regretfully.

"Yeah, you should." she said softly and placed her hand on his cheek, right over his scar. "But you know what they say, better later than never." the girl told him, and he smiled at her.

"Or in our case, really late."

* * *

 **A/N:** Despite what happened in Season 8, I'm not leaving this fandom just yet, so if anyone wants me to write them a request, you can leave a review or PM me. Thank you all!


	4. Best gift

**A/N:** This is a Kidgemas fic that popped into my head two days ago and refused to let me sleep until I wrote it down.

Takes place in a Future Voltron AU in which Pidge and Keith have been dating for four years and are now living together.

Merry Christmas to you all!

* * *

"Keith."

"Hmm…" he mumbled and pulled Pidge closer to him, not wanting to wake up just yet.

Pidge rolled her eyes and tried to break herself free from his hold, but his arms were firmly circled around her. She huffed and glared at his sleeping face, despite that he couldn't see her.

Although her boyfriend was an early riser most of the time, on holidays he liked to sleep late and stay under the covers for as long as possible, sometimes until noon.

" _Well, guess he will have to make an exception today."_

Lifting her arm, the girl poked him lightly in the ribs and he winced, releasing her.

"Keith, we need to get up." she told him in an insistent tone but he ignored her, rolling onto his back to go back to sleep.

Pidge huffed again and decided to change tactics, silently leaning over until her face was merely inches from his.

Feeling her breath tickle his skin, Keith fought the desire to open his eyes and kept pretending to be asleep. He knew her well enough to know she was up to something, though he couldn't tell what her plan was.

" _Patience yields focus, patience yields focus…"_

It was only when she started pressing tender kisses to his neck that he couldn't resist the temptation any longer.

"You know, if that's your way of getting me out of bed, it's not going to work…" he started saying, but the moment his eyes locked with Pidge's, the words died in his throat.

"Keiiith…" she whispered pleadingly, looking at him with puppy eyes.

He gulped, struggling to find something to say, but no words came to his mind.

"Pleaseee…" she pouted at him, clasping her hands together.

"I…I… Fine, you win." he sighed defeatedly and a triumphant smile appeared on her face.

"Aww, you make it almost too easy for me…" she teased and gave him a little peck on the lips before she got up, kicking the covers off the bed in the process.

Keith shook his head amusedly at her excitement and got out of bed as well, letting her practically drag him out of their bedroom and towards the living room.

Sitting on the floor, Pidge quickly rummaged through the small pile of presents they had placed under the tree last night, while Keith settled himself next to her on the carpet Colleen had given them when they had announced they were moving out together, almost two years ago.

"Aha, here it is!" she said cheerfully and handed him a rectangular package wrapped in red paper and tied with a green ribbon. "Last year I got to open your gift first, so this year it's your turn. I honestly hope that you like it, because it doesn't come with a gift receipt this time." Pidge added jokingly.

Keith chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Trust me, even if I happened to not like your present, which is highly unlikely, I still would treasure it with all of my heart, Pidge."

"Uh-huh, let's see if you keep saying that after you open it, sweetheart…" she answered playfully and rested her head on his shoulder, while he tore off the wrapping paper and lifted the lid of the box, revealing a dark leather jacket.

"Well, what do you think?" Pidge asked him, eyeing him as he took it out and held it in front of him.

"It's… it's perfect, I really like it, Pidge." he told her gratefully and dropped the jacket on his lap, turning around to hug her briefly. Setting her gift aside, he reached out and grabbed a small present wrapped in green paper.

"To be honest I wouldn't have been able to get you this if it hadn't been for Matt and Hunk, who helped me with the search and then with the wrapping, since as you know I totally suck at both." he explained and gave it to her.

Pidge laughed and started tearing off the wrapping paper, carelessly discarding it in a heap behind her. The moment she recognized the logo printed on the box, Pidge squealed in delight.

"You bought me a pair of smart glasses!? This is the best Christmas gift I have ever received, thank you so much!" she shouted and launched herself at his arms, making them fall onto the floor.

Laying on top of him, she smiled sheepishly and brushed his lips with hers.

"Sorry for knocking you down."

"It's okay, I'm glad that you liked it." he assured her, smiling softly. "Merry Christmas, Pidge." he muttered against her lips.

"Merry Christmas, Keith."

* * *

 **A/N:** If you want to send me any requests, I'm afraid you will have to wait until next year, because I will be celebrating the holidays with my family during all what is left of December ;)


	5. Maybe

**A/N:** Hey guys, I'm back!

This one is kind of a sequel for First kiss (Chapter 3), which takes place in a Future Voltron AU, six months after the Season 8 finale. As a fact, the title is based on the song 'Maybe' by Andrew Allen.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

"So…" commented Pidge after a pause, absently playing with the ends of Keith's ponytail. "I was thinking that maybe after you come back from your mission we could, I don't know, go to see a movie together or out to dinner? I know a place two blocks away from my apartment that makes the best burgers in the entire galaxy. Please don't tell Hunk I said that." the girl quickly added. "He would feel even more betrayed than the time the food goo attacked us in the Castle of Lions' kitchen."

Keith laughed and kissed gently her forehead.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. As for your offer… Are you asking me out on a date, Holt?" he said in an amused tone.

"Maybe." Pidge answered with a shrug. "Would you want it to be a date?" she asked in return, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Taking her hand, Keith entwined his fingers with hers and gave her a small peck on the lips.

"Only if it is with you." he answered and Pidge felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

"Okay. So it's a date then."

"Yep. Pick you up at nine in your apartment?" Keith suggested and she nodded her head, a bright smile appearing on her face.

* * *

 **A/N:** If anyone is interested in sending any prompts, just leave a review or PM me. I mostly write Kidge, but I also like Allurance, Hunay, Shatt, Hunelle, Veracxa, Shadam, Romatt, Shurtis, Zezor and Zaggar.


	6. Jet Lag

**A/N:** This Voltron Future AU takes place some months after Chapter 5 (and exactly six days before Valentine's Day). It also has some implied Zezor, because why not? They are really cute together!

Hope you all love it!

* * *

"Alright guys," said Keith and turned around to look at his team. "we are leaving this planet within two vargas, so we have to collect all the empty supply boxes and return them to the ship as fast as we can…"

"Geez, give us some rest, okay?" grunted Zethrid, lifting one of the boxes over her head and putting it in the Blade vehicle that would take them back to the ship. "Besides," she added, turning around to look at her leader with a questioning look. "why the heck are you in such a hurry to leave? It's not like Kolivan will be mad at us if we arrive one or two quintants later than expected."

"You are right, he won't. But I know someone who will be reaally disappointed if her boyfriend doesn't come back to Earth in time for Valentine's Day like he promised her he would." chimed in Ezor before Keith had time to answer, placing another box next to Zethrid's with the help of Acxa.

He scowled at her and crossed his arms defensively.

"That's none of your business, Ezor."

"Oh, so it's true then… You are dating the Green Paladin…" commented Zethrid, draping one large arm over Ezor's shoulders. "It's about time you two finally got together. Congratulations."

"Congratulations, Keith." said Acxa, smiling gently at him.

"Yeah man, ditto. Now Lance owes me thirty GACs, thanks to you and your girlfriend…" added Ezor in a sing-song voice, putting her arm around Zethrid's waist as she spoke.

Keith's cheeks turned a deep red and he glared at her, visibly embarrassed.

"Shut up, Ezor."

"Aww, you look so adorable when you blush…" she teased him, much to his annoyance.

"I'm not blushing!"

"Sure… Say that to your face."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm now working on finishing the request I was asked to write two weeks ago, but if anyone wants me to write a sequel to this, maybe from Pidge's POV or a happy Kidge reunion on Valentine's Day (I'm open to suggestions), just leave a review or PM me.

Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	7. Jet Lag 2

**A/N:** Hi everyone!

This one is the long-awaited sequel to the previous chapter that bja133 requested in their review and that I haven't been able to publish until now. I really hope it has been worth your wait and thank you so much for your encouraging reviews.

Hope you all like it!

* * *

"So," said Matt, looking at Pidge over the rim of his mug. "I heard that Keith and his team are coming back to Earth in a few hours."

"Yeah. In…" Pidge checked her cellphone. "exactly three hours and thirty-five minutes, if everything goes as planned. Which, if you ask me, I think is highly unlikely, because let's be honest, when has anything 'gone as planned' in space?" she questioned, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. "I mean…"

Matt patiently listened to his sister's rambling, quietly sipping his coffee while she went on.

"…I know that was mostly because we were in the middle of an intergalactic war against the Galra, but still, even though we are at peace now, contingencies can happen, especially in Keith's line of work." she concluded with a sigh and took a sip of her coffee.

"I see…" said her brother and lowered his mug. "And does Keith know how do you feel about him being away in space for too long, given the high number of potential risks regarding his profession?" he asked her, the concern evident in his tone. "Because if the answer is 'no', I think you need to tell him, Katie."

"Actually, that was one of the things we first discussed when we started dating." explained Pidge, placing her mug on the table. "Keith didn't want his job with the Blades to meddle with our relationship like what happened with his parents, so I thought it would be a good idea if we established some rules: no missions on winter's break or on August, along with some special days like Valentine's Day or Thanksgiving, and video or phone calls at least once a day if he was sent far away from Daibazaal."

"Huh, that's… a really smart and mature decision." commented her brother, smirking at her. "I'm proud of you, sis."

Pidge chuckled and slowly rose from her seat.

"Anyway, as much as I like talking with you about my love life, I gotta get back to work. There are some blueprints for the new ship prototype that need to be checked before we start building it."

"Right. I still have to finish the report that Iverson asked me to write before noon, so maybe after I give it to him, I could stop by your lab to see if you need any help or an extra mug of coffee." told her Matt, holding out his fist.

"Okay, see you in two hours!" she said and bumped her fist with his.

* * *

"And… finished! Now I just need to send these to Harris and I can finally be done with this…" Pidge muttered to herself, setting her datapad on one of the tables.

Suddenly she heard the lab door slide open and smiled, thinking it was Matt. Without looking up from her datapad, she jokingly said:

"Hey, what took you so long? I was starting to worry you might have got lost or something."

"Wouldn't be the first time after all. I swear these halls look all just the same." said a familiar voice behind her and Pidge quickly turned around, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

Keith smiled at her and approached her.

"I know we were supposed to arrive in two hours, but…"

Before he had time to finish the sentence, her hands cupped his cheeks and Pidge pulled his face down to her level, smashing her lips against his. Instantly his arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed her back, his lips as warm as she remembered them.

It was only after they ran out of breath that she finally pulled away, but not before giving him one last peck on the lips.

"Good to see you too." he told her and Pidge felt a smile spreading across her face.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Keith."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Pidge."

* * *

 **A/N:** Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	8. Wedding

**A/N:** And… here's another Kidge fic!

This a Voltron Future AU that takes place in the aftermath of Shiro's wedding party, in which Keith and Pidge have been together for some time.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

"Ugh, I swear my feet are killing me…" complained Pidge and flopped onto the hotel bed, kicking off her shoes in the process.

Keith suppressed a smile and closed the door behind him, placing their white jackets on the back of a chair.

"You know, I have to admit I am surprised you lasted this long. I was certain that after three hours of non-stop dancing I would have to carry you in arms back to our room." he said sarcastically and took off his red vest and matching bowtie, tossing them on the chair.

She rolled her eyes and sat up straight on the bed.

"Please no, that would have been really embarrassing, especially in front of our families."

"Uh-huh… And not to mention that Lance and Hunk would have never let us live it down." Keith pointed out, grabbing a pair of clean sweatpants and a black tank top from their suitcase.

"Exactly." commented Pidge and started unbuttoning her green vest. "And what's more, we would have stolen all the attention from Shiro and Curtis on their special day, which would have been kinda rude."

"Yep, totally rude." he agreed and entered the bathroom to take a quick shower. Twenty minutes later he came out of the bathroom and saw his girlfriend putting on a large red T-shirt, her bare legs dangling over the edge of the bed.

"Hey, isn't that my shirt?"

"Yep. Got a problem with me sleeping in your clothes, sweetheart?" she said with a teasing glint in her eyes, getting under the covers.

"Not at all. In fact, I think red really looks good on you." Keith told her with a smirk and turned off the lights before slipping in next to her.

Pidge snorted and rolled over so she was facing him.

"Oh yeah? Just the color?" she asked in an innocent tone, smiling when he put his arms around her small frame and pulled her towards him, her head automatically coming to rest on his chest.

"What can I say? It sure is a hot color." Keith answered in a nonchalant tone and didn't even flinch when Pidge playfully smacked him on the shoulder, still smiling.

* * *

 **A/N:** As you all know, constructive criticism is always welcome!


	9. Friends

**A/N:** Hey everyone, I'm back! It's been a long time since I wrote something not set in a Voltron AU, so after watching the 2003 movie Camp I got the idea for this Young Kidge Music AU.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

The day Keith met her, he was fourteen and was on his way home after school, just like every other Monday afternoon.

As the boy was walking with his earbuds on, too lost in his thoughts to pay attention to his surroundings, he suddenly bumped with someone, making all the papers they were carrying in their arms fall to the ground. Looking up, he noticed it was a short girl, probably two or three years younger than him, with long chestnut hair tied in a side ponytail and brown eyes.

"Hey, look where you're going!" she told him in an annoyed tone, kneeling on the floor and starting to gather her fallen papers.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to crash into you." apologized Keith, taking off his earbuds and putting them in his jacket's pocket. "Here, let me help you with this." he added and knelt next to her.

Picking up one of the papers, the boy turned it over and saw pentagrams and music notes, along with some scribbled lyrics.

"Hey, have you composed this…?"

But before he could say anything else the girl quickly snatched it from his hand and finished collecting the papers, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Yes, but please don't read them, they are private stuff." she awkwardly said and stood up, grabbing her papers and holding them close to her chest.

"Um, okay…" commented Keith in an uncertain tone and stood up as well. "You know, my dad will probably be wondering why I haven't arrived home yet, so I think I'd better go now." he said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"Right, I think I should go too." muttered the girl and looked down in embarrassment. "By the way, I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. It's just that I don't like people going through my stuff or reading my songs without my permission." she explained and unconsciously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"It's okay, don't worry." he assured her. "I'm also extremely protective of my things, especially with people I barely know. I'm…I'm Keith, by the way." the boy added a bit mortified, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"Oh right, I… I'm Katie, though my brother and my friends usually call me Pidge." the girl shyly introduced herself and held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Pidge." Keith said and shook briefly her hand, a nervous smile appearing on his face.

* * *

 _Two days later…_

"So, what instrument do you play?" asked Keith, taking a sip of his soda.

They were sitting on a bench at the park two blocks away from Pidge's house, which Keith had discovered was only three blocks away from his own house.

"I have been playing the piano since I was eight, though when I was five I also took violin lessons. I barely remember any of it, only that the tips of my fingers would hurt a lot after playing for two hours." Pidge answered with a grimace, taking a sip of her soda. "And you?"

"When I was seven my dad started teaching me how to play the guitar, and one year later he encouraged me to take guitar lessons to improve my playing." the boy explained in a proud tone. "Now I'm almost as good as him when he was eighteen, or at least that's what he says."

"That's great. He seems like a cool guy, your dad." commented the girl, smiling a bit.

"Yeah, he is. Years before I was born, he was the guitarist in a rock band called The Firefighters. It was around that time when he met my mom, Krolia."

"Krolia? You mean the former female vocalist of The Blade of Marmora!?" asked Pidge, her brown eyes widened in surprise. "They were one of my parents' favorite bands of all time!"

"Really? That's great. Maybe we could introduce them to my parents someday if you want." he suggested without thinking twice.

"That's a really good idea! Imagine my mom's face when I tell her I'm friends with the son of her favorite band's singer. She'll be over the moon!" said Pidge excitedly and Keith frowned.

"Friends?"

As soon as the question came out of his mouth, the girl's smile disappeared from her face and she looked at him with an insecure expression in her eyes.

"Yeah, I mean we are friends, right?" Pidge asked in an uncertain tone.

"I don't know. I mean," he quickly added. "I have never had any friends before, so I don't know what's like to have one." the boy admitted and looked down at his empty soda.

Then he felt a tug on his jacket's sleeve and looked up, seeing her holding out her soda.

"Here." the girl told him with a smile. "You can have mine."

"Thanks." Keith acknowledged her and hesitantly accepted it, his fingers brushing hers for a moment.

"You're welcome." Pidge answered and elbowed him lightly in the arm. "Friend." she added and the boy smiled.

* * *

 **A/N:** If anyone wants me to write the sequel to this, just leave a comment or PM me!

Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	10. Musician AU

**A/N:** Since I have been really busy this week, I didn't have time to finish on time two of the prompts I was planning to post for the Kidge Week, so anyway here's the one I wrote for Day 6: Actor AU or Musician AU, which also serves as the sequel for Friends (Chapter 9) that bja133 requested me a few days ago.

Hope you all like it!

* * *

"So I have been thinking…" said a sixteen-year-old Keith in a casual tone, leaning back in his chair. "How about we start a rock band together?"

"Hm, I guess we could…" commented Pidge and stole another one of his French fries.

"No, I mean really." he said, taking a sip of her soda. "With me on the guitar and you on the keyboard, we would just need a vocalist and a drummer."

"And a bassist." the girl added jokingly and took back her soda.

"Okay. And maybe a bassist." the boy answered with a roll of his eyes and she laughed. "My point is, we could form a rock band together." he added and stared right at her brown eyes. "So what do you say?"

"I say…"

* * *

 _Four years later…_

"…Vol and you say Tron! VOL!" shouted Lance, much to Keith's annoyance.

"TROON!" cheered excitedly the crowd, raising their arms.

"Geez, I still don't understand why he has to do that at the beginning of every concert." complained Keith at the backstage, putting on his signature red jacket.

"You know how Lance is." said Pidge and pushed her glasses back up her nose. "He basks in the audience's love, as he himself said in that TV interview we did last year."

"Oh yeah, I remember that one… The guy was a total jerk."

"I know right? He even had the nerve to ask at the end of the interview how long we had been dating, despite that we had already told him that we weren't a couple."

"Yeah, I wonder where did he get that idea." he commented and smiled when she placed her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

"I honestly have no clue." Pidge answered sarcastically and lifted her head so he could kiss her.

* * *

 **A/N:** As you all know, constructive criticism is always welcome!


	11. Nightmare

**A/N:** Since I already wrote a fic in which Keith comforts Pidge (if anyone is interested in reading it it's called If I lose myself), I decided to reverse the roles this time. By the way I may or not have indirectly brought Allura back for this AU because I can't stand the thought of her being gone forever. Just so you know.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

" _Come on…" Keith muttered through gritted teeth and kept pulling with all his might, refusing to let her go._

 _He could hear her shouting his name through the helmet's comms, the desperation clear in her voice, as his grip on her hand started to loosen, much to his horror._

" _Keith!"_

" _No!" he screamed in despair as she was dragged beneath the dark smooth surface, away from him…_

Keith woke up with a start, his heart beating wildly in his chest. As he slowly became aware of his surroundings, he rolled over and instinctively reached out for her, only to find the other side of the bed cold and empty. Instantly his breath hitched and panic gnawed at his gut, making it hard to think clearly.

Stumbling out of the bed, Keith stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway, not even bothering to put on a shirt.

 _I need to find her, I need to find her, I need to find her, I need to find her, I need her…_

Grabbing the jar of peanut butter, Pidge closed the fridge's door and turned around, just to find a half-naked Keith standing in their kitchen with a troubled look in his dark eyes.

"Hey," she said a bit hesitantly, placing the jar on the table next to her. "I was gonna take a midnight snack, want some...?"

She was interrupted when her boyfriend quickly approached her in two strides and hugged her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck and closing his eyes.

"Keith. What's wrong?" she asked in a concerned tone, noticing he was trembling.

"I…I dreamed that I lost you again." he muttered against her skin and felt a wave of warmth wash over him as she returned the hug, running a hand up and down his back in a comforting way.

She knew he still had nightmares about their battle with Honerva. Heck, all of them did, Allura included. Some nights Pidge would wake up, sweaty and terrified, and only the presence of Keith next to her, his arms wrapped around her, would soothe her and lull her back to sleep. It hadn't been easy, but throughout the years that had passed since the war they had both learned how to keep the nightmares at bay by just being there for each other, no words needed to be said.

Pulling away slightly, Keith opened his eyes and looked at his girlfriend with a heartfelt expression.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." Pidge answered softly and kissed his cheek, making him smile.

* * *

 **A/N:** I just wanted to let you guys know that since final exams are coming up in two weeks, I won't have the time nor the energy to write anything for what is left of May.

Thank you all for your support and your understanding.


	12. Dog's day

**A/N:** FINALLY, school is over!

And what better way to start summer vacation than with a Post-Season 8 ficlet starring Pidge and our beloved blue teleporting cosmic wolf?

Hope you all like it!

* * *

The sun streamed through the bedroom's window, much to Pidge's annoyance, who groaned and turned her back to the source of light, trying to get a little more sleep. Then she felt a weight settle on the bed and a warm raspy tongue licked her cheek, making her instantly open her eyes.

"What the…? Oh, good morning Kosmo." Pidge greeted him in a sleepy voice and lifted a hand to give the blue wolf a brief scratch behind the ears. "Did you sleep well last night?"

The wolf simply stared at her with his bright yellow eyes, as if he was pondering her question, before he slowly rubbed his muzzle against her arm.

"I'll take that as a yes." she told him with a smile and petted affectionately his blue mane before getting up from the bed. "Come on, let's go and have some breakfast." she added over her shoulder and headed to the kitchen.

At the mention of the word 'breakfast', Kosmo's ears perked up and the wolf suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light, reappearing a few seconds later in the kitchen. Shaking her head amusedly, Pidge started the coffee and took out the sugar from the cabinet, placing it on the table's kitchen.

"Alright," she said, turning to the wolf. "while the coffee perks, I'll go bring your food from the pantry and you stay here without biting or eating up anything, understood?"

Kosmo nodded his head and sat very still on the floor, looking all innocent and obedient. Pidge smiled at him and ruffled the pale fur of his head.

"That's my boy. I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

Five minutes later, Pidge sat at the table's kitchen with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in her hands, while Kosmo quietly ate his food, a mixture of dry canine kibble and raw meat, along with some vegetables to supplement his diet.

After breakfast, Pidge went back to the bedroom to get dressed and the wolf patiently waited for her in the kitchen, giving her some privacy. Once she was finished, Pidge grabbed her keys and her phone and left the apartment, with Kosmo at her heels.

"You know, since today is my day off and Keith won't be home until tomorrow morning, how about we go for a walk in the park, huh?" she suggested and the wolf let out a growl of excitement, to which Pidge laughed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Since I now have plenty of time to write, I'll try to publish at least one one-shot each week, depending on the length, so stay tuned for more Kidge (and maybe other pairings too, you all know I'm always up to suggestions)!

Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	13. Date

**A/N:** To be honest I wasn't entirely satisfied with the second part of this one-shot, so I decided that since 13 is one of my favorite numbers, why not try to make it better? Anyway, this is the Kidge Date that I foreshadowed at Maybe (Chapter 5) and that no one asked for but that I, a fellow Kidge shipper, would have wanted them to have in the show.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

Pidge stubbornly combed her hair with her fingers for the seventh time, in an unsuccessful attempt to give it a less disheveled and more presentable look. For the last half-hour she had attempted several hairstyles, but none of them seemed to suit her well. Throwing up her hands in defeat, she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror with a frustrated expression.

" _Why the hell I'm so nervous? It's just a date, for quiznak's sake!"_

A date with Keith, her teammate and one of her closest friends, who she had known since she was fifteen, and most importantly, who had given her her first kiss ever, and her second, and her third…

Suddenly she heard someone knocking on her apartment door, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Coming!" she shouted and practically ran to the door, unconsciously rubbing her palms against her pants before she opened it.

Standing in front of her, Keith looked at her with a small smile on his face and she smiled as well, doing her best to ignore the fluttering feeling in her stomach at the sight of him.

"Hi." said Pidge, self-consciously tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Hey." he answered, and then reached forward, leaning down to kiss her.

His lips tasted just like the last time she had felt them against hers, a mixture of mint and black coffee that had her tilt her head to the right and closing her eyes as he deepened the kiss, his hands tentatively coming to rest on her waist.

Once they parted, Pidge opened her eyes and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Not that I'm complaining but isn't this supposed to happen at the end of the date?" she asked in a playful tone, resting her forehead against his.

Keith rolled his eyes at her and replied in a casual tone:

"I guess so. But since we already had our first kiss two weeks ago, I didn't see why we couldn't do it again, you know."

"Uh-huh… And also our second, and our third, and…"

But before Pidge could continue talking, he gently pulled her closer to him and kissed her for the second time that night, her hands tangling in his hair.

* * *

"Mmm, you were right," Keith told her, wiping his hands with a paper napkin. "these really are the best burgers in the entire galaxy."

Pidge nodded her head and shifted in her seat, crossing one leg over the other.

"You're welcome." she said and licked her lips, not noticing the way Keith's eyes lingered on them as she did it. "On another note, how much time are you planning on staying here? On Earth, I mean, not in this restaurant." she clarified, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well…" making the paper napkin into a small ball, Keith tossed it on his now empty plate. "My mom's coming to Earth with Kolivan in two days to meet with Shiro and the rest of the Coalition at the Garrison, so I was thinking about taking a few days off to spend some time with them and Shiro after the meeting's over."

"That's great." leaning forward, Pidge set aside her cup and placed her forearms on the table, entwining her fingers together. "My parents are coming too, so Matt and I were planning on throwing a welcome-home dinner for them next Tuesday."

"Considering the Atlas has been away in space for more than two months, I'm sure they'll appreciate eating something that hasn't been cryogenized or isn't green alien food." commented Keith and crossed his arms, resting them on the table as well. "Speaking of our families, do you think we should tell them, you know, about us?"

"I don't know… Do you want to?" she asked him, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Do you?"

Pidge shrugged and answered.

"Even if we don't want to, sooner or later we'll have to tell them. The question is, do we tell them now or we wait until we hit the three-month mark just to be sure?"

"Well, to be fair Shiro didn't tell us he and Curtis were together until they'd been dating for at least four months." recalled Keith and then smirked, uncrossing his arms. "Besides, three months isn't that long."

"Course not. And in the meantime…" she added with a sly smile. "We can still come here from time to time and grab some burgers."

"Exactly."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm currently toying with the idea of writing a Disney AU for Keith and Pidge but I can't decide on which movie base it (there are too many movies that give me such Kidge feels that I just can't choose one), so do you guys have any suggestions or preferences?

Thanks in advance!


	14. Tangled AU

**A/N:** It was about time I made a Kidge Disney AU, so here's this Kidge Tangled AU, as suggested by bja133. Thank you so much for your unconditional support!

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

At the sound of hoofbeats approaching, Keith pressed his back against the tree behind which he was hiding and gripped tightly his knife, his other hand coming to rest protectively on the brown worn-out satchel he was carrying.

" _Let them come._ " he bitterly thought. _"If they want it back, they will have to pry it from my cold dead fingers_."

That satchel, or to be more precise, the content of that satchel, was the key to the future he had spent most of his life dreaming of since he was a young orphan, eighteen years before he became the notorious thief he now was. The thief that less than two hours ago had had the audacity to steal from under the royal guards' noses the lost princess' crown.

As the neighing of the horses and the shouts of the royal guards grew increasingly louder as they came closer and closer to his improvised hideout, Keith suddenly spotted, just seven feet to his left, what it seemed to be a small cave entrance, almost completely covered by a curtain of light green-leaved vines.

" _Definitely a better place to hide than behind a tree_."

Mentally cursing himself for not noticing it sooner, Keith threw caution to the wind and sprinted towards the cave, his hand still clutching the precious satchel strapped to his shoulder.

To be honest he didn't know what he was expecting to find at the other side of that cave, though he hoped it wouldn't lead him to the lair of a bear or some other wild animal. What he surely didn't expect was a mysterious tower in the middle of a valley with no visible door and a single window at the top, just below its pointed roof.

Without thinking twice, Keith quickly reached the base of the tower and started scaling it, using his knife to pull himself up as he climbed. Coming in through the window, he stepped inside a spacious circular room, whose walls were entirely decorated with some intricate and colorful paintings.

"Hello… Is anyone in here? My name's Keith and I just…"

But before he could finish the sentence, a small shadow appeared from behind and hit him with a metal object, judging from the way it echoed against his head before he lost consciousness.

Once he opened his eyes again, Keith found himself tied up to a chair in what looked like… Hair!? Long, soft, smooth blond hair, but hair nonetheless.

"What the hell…?" he muttered and began twisting his body, frantically searching for his knife, just to discover he didn't have it on him.

"Looking for this?"

Keith raised his head and saw a barefoot blonde girl standing in front of him with a wary expression, holding out his knife in her small hand.

"So, how did you find me and what do you want with my hair, Keith?" she asked him in a serious tone, casually brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"What? Why on earth would I want your…?"

It was at that moment when Keith realized that the hair in which he was tied was in fact, hers.

" _Alright, Keith, don't freak out, just don't freak out…_ "

Taking a deep breath, Keith weighed his options and decided it would be best to try and be reasonable with her.

"Listen, Blondie…"

"Katie." the girl interrupted him, and he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, Katie… Look, I was being chased through the forest, and then I saw your tower, so I climbed it and… Wait, what did you do with my satchel!?" he angrily demanded, glaring at her.

"I've hidden it, somewhere you will never find it." Katie answered confidently and crossed her arms. "Although, if you are so interested in getting your satchel back…"

"And my knife."

"…I have an offer for you." continued the girl and pulled slightly at her hair, turning the chair towards one of the tower's walls. "Do you know what these lights are?" she asked him, pointing at some square dots painted in yellow on a dark blue background, which he assumed represented the night sky.

"You mean the floating lanterns' thing they do every year for the lost princess?" Keith told her, a bit confused by her question.

To his amazement, Katie's hazel eyes brightened up and a wide smile appeared on her face.

"I knew they weren't stars!" she said excitedly and then cleared her throat. "Anyway, tomorrow evening they will release these lanterns into the sky, so if you take me to see them and bring me back home safely after that, then, and only then, I'll give you back your satchel. That's my deal."

"And how do I know I can trust you?" Keith inquired in a suspicious tone, staring at her skeptically.

"Because when I promise something, I never go back on my word." the girl replied, holding his gaze. "Ever."

* * *

 **A/N:** As you all know, any requests and suggestions for prompts are welcome!


	15. Drawing

**A/N:** Hey guys, I'm back again!

This one is a Voltron High School AU in which once a week Pidge receives drawings of her from a secret admirer… who also happens to be one of the most popular boys in the entire school, though she doesn't know that. Any guesses who might be this mysterious lad? ;)

Hope you all like it!

* * *

" _Another one._ "

Pidge smiled excitedly and unfolded the paper, her heart pounding in anticipation.

It was a small drawing, yet very well detailed, of a short-haired girl with round glasses and an inquisitive expression, who looked every bit like her. Taking a closer look at it, she noticed that whoever had drawn it had also taken the time to add a bit of shading under and above her eyes, as well as in her hair, making them seem all the more realistic and beautiful.

Leaning her back against the lockers, her fingers slowly traced the thin dark lines, as if wanting to recreate the path made by the stroke of the pencil.

" _Who are you?_ " the girl couldn't help but wonder, staring at the drawing with a thoughtful expression. " _And why do I have this feeling that I already know you…?_ "

Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned her head, just to find herself face-to-face with a black-haired boy with distinctive dark eyes.

" _Oh my god, I can't believe Keith Kogane is standing right next to me!_ " her mind shrieked, and Pidge resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her own reaction.

" _For quiznak's sake, Pidge, get a grip of yourself, will you!_ "

"Hey, um… can I please borrow a pen?" said Keith, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "I was running late for school this morning and I accidentally left my pencil case at home." he awkwardly explained, fidgeting with the zipper of his red and white jacket.

"Uh, sure thing, no problem…" the girl answered and quickly rummaged through her green hoodie's pockets. "Here."

"Thank you." the boy told her and accepted the black pen she was handing him, his eyes casually drifting to the paper Pidge was still holding in her hands. "Nice drawing by the way."

At the mention of it, Pidge instinctively grasped it more tightly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Thank…Thank you, though it isn't mine. I…I mean," she nervously stammered. "it obviously depicts me, as you can see, but I didn't draw it."

"Right… Anyway, I gotta go to class now, before Iverson punishes me for being late again." Keith grimaced and turned on his heels. "See you later, Pidge." he told her over his shoulder and headed for his class, leaving behind a very stunned Pidge.

" _How… How the hell did he know my name!?_ "

* * *

 **A/N:** Just out of curiosity, what are your favorite Kidge fics from this collection so far, including this one?

Please let me know on the comments!


	16. Reluctance

**A/N:** Okay, so this one is a Voltron Modern AU in which Lance and Allura convince Keith and Pidge to go on a double date with them, despite their hesitations.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

"No."

"But you didn't even wait to hear what I was going to say!" protested Lance in an exasperated tone.

"I didn't need to." told him Keith, taking a sip of his root beer. "You have that look on your face that says 'You're about to have the best time of your life, my man', but that actually means 'You're about to get screwed over, Keith'." he explained with a roll of his eyes.

"Wow, your lack of faith in me is so touching, you know." Lance said sarcastically, taking a sip of his own drink. "Anyway, I was hanging out the other day with Allura, when suddenly we had this idea…"

* * *

"No, no way, absolutely not." said Pidge, shaking fervently her head to emphasize her statement.

"But Pidge…" insisted Allura, looking at her with puppy eyes. "It will be just one night, I promise…"

"Nice try, but the answer is still no." she told her, grabbing her mug of tea from the coffee table and getting up from the couch. "It's been three months since the last time you tried to set me up with some random guy you didn't even know, and I'd rather get run over by a truck than having to repeat that experience."

"Oh come on, don't be so dramatic." huffed Allura, dropping her act and following Pidge into their kitchen's apartment. "Besides, all that I'm asking you is to go on a double date with me, Lance…"

* * *

"…And a complete stranger who could very well be a total psychopath." argued Keith.

"For the last time, she is Allura's roommate!" answered Lance, his patience growing thin by the minute. "Her name is Pidge, she's studying computer engineering at Garrison University, and according to both Allura and Hunk, who is in her class, she is a nice normal girl. And guess what, she's very fond of dogs too, just like you." he added matter-of-factly, leaning against the counter.

"I see… I'm still not going though." Keith told him and finished his root beer, signaling to the bartender to bring him the check.

* * *

"Alright, fine." Allura dropped her shoulders defeatedly and pulled out her cellphone. "If you really don't wanna go, then it's okay, I'll go text Lance and tell him to cancel the restaurant reservation for tonight."

"Thank you." replied Pidge in a relieved tone, placing her mug on the sink and turning on the tap.

"Although," Allura casually commented, as she started typing on her phone. "to be honest with you I can't help but feel a little bad for Keith, you know…"

* * *

"…Just imagine Pidge's disappointment when we tell her we gotta cancel the double date because you are not even interested in meeting her." pointed out Lance, setting his glass on the counter. "She's gonna feel so rejected, and I honestly wouldn't blame her, considering that the guy her friends had spoken so well of stood her up without a second thought. That would be kinda rude, don't you think so?" he added and stared at him expectantly.

"I…Well…" Keith sighed. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I agreed to have a date with her and the two of you…"

* * *

" _…After all, it's only gonna be one single night, right?_ " Pidge reasoned to herself and then turned around to meet Allura's blue eyes. "Fine, let's do this."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Allura beamed at her, leaving her phone on the kitchen's countertop. "Now, what we need to do is find you a nice outfit for tonight, preferably in green or in red…" she went on, quickly dragging Pidge with her to the latter's bedroom before she had time to protest.

* * *

"On one condition." warned Keith, holding up a finger. "No bad jokes about my hair in front of Pidge, got it?"

"Fiiiine… But only because, as your roommate, wingman and future best man, I want this double date to be absolutely perfect."

* * *

 **A/N:** Constructive criticism is always welcome!


	17. Beach day

**A/N:** Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates these two past weeks (and for the delay with this one-shot too) but I was really busy helping my mom with some stuff at home, which left me with little time to write on those days. Also I'll be on vacation for a few days with my family, so you all might have to wait a liiittle bit more for Reluctance's (Chapter 16) sequel, which will be hopefully published at the end of next week.

Anyway, since I'm already on summer vacation I decided to write this Voltron Post-Season 8 AU, in which the team, including Allura, goes to spend a day at the beach.

Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the beach, Lance dropped his towel and quickly took off his T-shirt before sprinting towards the sea as if his life depended on it.

"Come on guys!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Last one to the water has to pay for everyone's ice cream!"

"What's… an ice cream?" Allura asked Hunk in a confused tone, placing her pink towel next to her boyfriend's blue one. "Is it an ointment made of ice or something like that…?"

"No, no, it's a type of frozen dessert, more or less similar to a milkshake but sweeter in taste." he explained to her, taking off his flip-flops and extending his yellow towel on the sand. "You'll like it, I promise." Hunk gently assured her and she smiled.

"I sure will."

Meanwhile, Keith was helping Shiro put up a black deckchair and a white beach umbrella, just a few feet to where Lance, Allura and Hunk had left their towels. As for Pidge, she was currently talking on the phone with her mother, like she had been for the past ten minutes:

"Uh-huh… Yeah… Okay, I gotta go now Mom… Right, I'll text you when we get back to town. Bye!" she said and hung up before approaching Shiro and Keith, who had just finished setting up everything.

"Well well, seems like I'm not the only half-vampire here with a sensitive skin that can't stay in the sun for too long without getting sunburned." Pidge told them jokingly and put her cellphone in one of her swim shorts' pockets, sitting under the shade of the umbrella on Keith's red towel.

"Indeed." laughed Shiro, sitting on his deckchair and crossing one leg over the other. "Which means we all should be thankful to the fellow genius who invented sunscreen many centuries ago." he playfully added.

"Hell yeah." agreed Keith and sat down next to Pidge on the towel, their bodies almost pressed together despite the heat.

"Speaking of it," said Pidge in a casual tone and reached for her bag, pulling out a bottle of sunblock. "could you rub some cream on my back, Keith?"

"Sure." he answered and took the bottle from her hand. "Do you want me to put some on your shoulders too?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, thank you." she replied and took off her T-shirt, revealing a forest green bikini top that flattered her pale skin and nicely contrasted with her brown eyes, before turning her back to him.

"Right…" Keith quietly said, pouring a bit of sunscreen over Pidge's smooth skin and actively trying to push the image of her barely covered chest from his mind.

He knew it was stupid of him to feel attracted to someone who would never see him as something more than a teammate and a close friend at most, as he had told himself countless times for the last ten and a half months, ever since he had come to realize the true extent of his feelings for the Green Paladin.

" _And yet, it seems like my brain refuses to get the damn message._ " Keith wryly thought, slowly spreading the cream around the bare expanse of Pidge's back with his hands.

"There, all done." he told her after a while, absently wiping the remains of the sunscreen on the towel.

Pidge nodded her head and turned around to face him, flashing him a grateful smile.

"Thanks, Keith. For covering my back, I mean." she said teasingly, holding up the bottle of sunscreen.

"Anytime." he answered and managed to smile, despite the dull ache in his chest, feeling her rest her head against his shoulder.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all for your continued support and your patience!


	18. Assurance

**A/N:** Remember four weeks ago when I told you guys that you might have to wait 'only' a few more days for this one-shot to be published? Well, turns out that apart from being a constant victim of writer's block I'm also the world's worst (or best?) procrastinator in the history of procrastination, at least when it comes to writing.

Anyway, here's the sequel for Reluctance (Chapter 16) that bja133 asked me so nicely almost two months ago and that I should have finished (and published) sooner.

Hope you all like it!

* * *

"What time were we supposed to meet them?" asked Keith in a bored tone, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he scrolled through Twitter to pass the time. "It's already half-past nine."

"Around ten minutes ago." answered Lance and put his hands in his jeans' pockets, his eyes fixed on the steady flow of walking passersby that swarmed the street. "Maybe they got stuck in a traffic jam on their way here or something." he said, trying to keep his tone optimistic.

"Sure, or maybe Pidge changed her mind at the last minute and convinced Allura not to tell you because she was afraid of hurting my poor feelings." Keith commented sarcastically.

Lance huffed in exasperation and turned his head to him with a scowl on his face.

"See, that's what I meant when I said you shouldn't be so quick at making judgments about someone you haven't even met. You always expect the worst of people."

"Yeah, because people are the worst." deadpanned Keith, looking up from his cellphone to glare at him.

"Now you have just proven my point."

* * *

" _I still don't know why the hell I agreed to this. With my luck, this double date will be even more disastrous than last time."_ Pidge dryly thought and resisted the urge to grimace at the memory of that night, focusing instead on walking as fast as she could to keep up with Allura.

" _At least I hope this Keith doesn't turn out to be a jerk like that self-conceited son of a…"_

"Is something wrong, Pidge?" Allura asked her in a concerned voice. "You've barely spoken to me since we left home."

"No, no, everything is fine, don't worry." Pidge replied. "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." she explained and Allura nodded her head in understanding.

"Does it have to do with Keith?"

"Yeah… I mean no…" she sighed. "It's complicated."

"Pidge." said Allura, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to feel nervous or even a little scared when you're about to meet someone for the first time." she told her. "But I assure you that it's gonna be all right. Keith sometimes might not seem like the easiest person to approach, but deep down he's a really good guy, trust me."

"If you say so… I just hope you're right and everything goes well." said Pidge and Allura smiled.

"That's the spirit. By the way, look who's there, next to the restaurant with the red awning." she whispered and Pidge spotted a tall guy with brown short hair dressed in a white and blue jacket and a black-haired guy in a red and white jacket with yellow shoulder pads.

" _Here goes nothing…"_ she told herself and took a deep breath.

* * *

"Hello guys, sorry we're late."

Keith turned his head and saw a white-haired girl and a short girl with chestnut hair approaching them.

"It's no big deal." said Lance before Keith had time to answer, smiling at Allura. "Besides, we have only been waiting here for like ten minutes, right Keith?"

"Yeah, it's amazing how quickly time passes sometimes." he replied with a roll of his eyes and put his phone in one of his jacket's pockets, turning his attention to the short girl in front of him.

" _Her face looks so strangely familiar, she kinda reminds me of that guy Shiro's friends with… Matt Holt, I think his name was…"_

"Keith, this is my roommate Pidge, one of my best friends and our resident tech genius." said Allura while Lance casually rested a hand on her waist, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Keith. "Pidge, this is Keith, Lance's roommate."

"Nice to meet you, Pidge." he told her in a polite tone and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you too." she nervously answered and shook it briefly, her palm so soft and warm against his calloused one.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered how it would feel to entwine his fingers with hers, to run his thumb over the back of her pale hand as their mouths came closer and closer…

" _Whoa, what the hell is wrong with me!? I just met this girl literally less than one minute ago and I'm already thinking about kissing her. That's what I get for watching too many romantic movies with Lance!"_

"Well, now that we all know each other, how about we get inside?" suggested Allura and pushed open the restaurant's door, opportunely pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely starving." agreed Lance and entered after her, leaving Keith and Pidge alone outside.

"So…" Pidge spoke after an awkward pause, unconsciously smoothing out the skirt of her green skater dress. "Are you planning on staying here all night or…?"

"Huh?" Keith looked at her a bit confusedly, and then he suddenly understood. "Right, we shouldn't keep Allura and Lance waiting."

Pidge nodded her head and walked inside the restaurant, with Keith at her heels.

" _Seems like this double date is gonna be far more interesting than what I thought."_

* * *

 **A/N:** Even though I have said it multiple times, a million thank-yous would never be enough to express how grateful I am to all of you for being so patient and supportive with me and my stories. Also, I'm planning on writing the third installment to this mini-series, so stay tuned for more!

As always, any other requests or suggestions for prompts are welcome!

PS: Special kudos to anyone who used to watch or still watches New Girl and understood the reference ;)


	19. Surprise

**A/N:** Hey everyone, sorry for the radio silence these past two months, but since the start of the semester I've been overwhelmed with college projects almost every week and it was just… too much.

Anyway, I originally intended to publish this one-shot on Halloween, but then I remembered that today (November 23rd) is a certain Paladin's birthday, so I decided to make this fic into a special gift for him.

Hope you all like it!

* * *

"I have a bad feeling about this place." said Keith, looking a bit apprehensively at the house through the car's window. "So dark and lonely… It's giving me the creeps."

Pidge chuckled and parked the car, turning off the engine.

"Sounds like someone is a little scared…" she teased and grabbed the car keys, unbuckling her belt.

"I'm not scared." turning his gaze away from the spooky as hell house, he glanced at her in mild annoyance, his eyebrows pulled together in a frown. "It's just that when you said you wanted to take me to a special place, I didn't know you were planning on bringing me to the Psycho house." Keith told her, a bit exasperatedly. "In the middle of the night."

Pidge smiled cryptically and opened the driver's door.

"Relax, it's all part of the surprise." was all she said, getting out of the car and closing the door before Keith could stop her.

"Wait, what surprise? Pidge!" he called after her and stepped out of the car as well.

Still smiling, Pidge stopped in front of the house's door and waited for Keith to catch up to her.

"You'll see. Now open the door so we can get inside. I'm kinda freezing my hands off here." she told him, putting her hands in her coat's pockets to keep them warm.

"Right." Keith answered and grabbed the handle, turning it to the right. "Because I'm sure that Norman or whatever serial killer who lives here won't mind if we barge into their home just as they're about to stab to death one of their victims…"

"SURPRISE!"

Keith instinctively jumped back and grabbed Pidge's arm, as all the house's lights went on and four familiar figures appeared in the doorway.

"Oh my gosh, you should've seen the look on your face!" laughed Lance, leaning into Hunk for support and wiping the tears from his eyes. "It was priceless!"

"Yeah, like the frightened cat from that meme Romelle posted on the group chat the other day." said Hunk in a joking tone. "So funny and adorable at the same time… I mean the cat, not you."

"What…what the hell…? Keith tried to ask and discreetly let go of Pidge's arm, his mind still reeling from the shock.

"Oh, you know, just a small surprise party we decided to throw for your birthday." Allura answered with a smile.

"And since your birthday happens to be only a week before Halloween, we chose to make it a little more original." explained Shiro, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Happy birthday by the way."

"So that means…" Keith turned to Pidge, who was doing her best to keep a straight face. "You knew about this?"

"Yep." she nodded, bumping his shoulder playfully. "Happy birthday, emo boy."

"I… I don't know what to say. I…" he took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "I honestly thought you all had forgotten about my birthday." he admitted, rubbing his neck with his hand a bit embarrassedly.

"How could we," replied Lance, rolling his eyes. "considering Pidge wouldn't stop pestering us about it for the last three weeks…" before he could finish the sentence, Hunk elbowed him in the ribs. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is, even if we don't show it all the time, except for maybe Hunk…"

"We all care very much about you." finished Pidge, smiling at Keith.

"And we always will." added Allura, while Shiro placed his prosthetic hand on Keith's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

* * *

 **A/N:** To those who liked Reluctance (Chapter 16) and Assurance (Chapter 18) and are still waiting for me to finish Willingness (the third part to this mini-series that I'm currently writing), it'll be published as the next chapter of this collection, I promise.

See you all soon and happy early Halloween!


	20. Willingness

**A/N:** It took me a really long time to write the third part to this mini-series (Reluctance-Assurance-Willingness), which chronologically takes place at the end of September, but I've finally published it.

Hope you all enjoy it and happy holidays!

* * *

Against all expectations, Lance did keep his word and didn't make a single mocking comment about Keith's hair in front of Pidge and Allura, not even when Allura had excused herself to the restroom and was absent for about ten minutes.

Still, Keith was one-hundred percent positive that the moment the date was over and the two girls were gone, once again he would find himself on the receiving end of Lance's annoying hair jokes, as he had been countless times over the past three years they had been roommates.

" _All the more reason I should try to enjoy this night while it lasts."_ he sarcastically thought and dug his fork into the pile of bolognese pasta on his plate, twirling a small amount of spaghetti around the fork and putting it in his mouth.

At his left, Lance cleared his throat and asked, trying to break the ice.

"Hey Pidge, I heard professor Slav had assigned you and Hunk a new project for this semester?"

"Yeah." brushing away a short lock of hair, Pidge tucked it behind her right ear. "Since Hunk and I are both interested in space exploration, aside from computer programming, we've decided to create an interactive simulation of a wormhole, similar to one my brother found on the Internet and showed me a while ago." she explained and took a bite of her pasta.

"Sounds cool." commented Lance and shoved a forkful of macaroni in his mouth. "Speaking of which," he said after a pause, wiping a smear of marinara sauce off the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "how's Matt doing by the way?"

"Oh, he's fine," she answered with a shrug. "though I don't get to see him as much as I'd like to these days because of his job."

"What does he do?" asked Keith and the brunette girl looked at him with a wary expression, a bit taken aback by his blunt question.

" _Way to go, Keith. Just perfect."_

"He works as a software programmer at Kerberos Inc. along with my dad, though in his free time he's currently developing an RPG video game with his girlfriend and three of their friends." she explained and Keith nodded, looking down at his plate.

They quietly ate for a few minutes, until Allura decided to break the silence.

"So, what do you like doing in your free time, Keith?" she asked him in a curious tone, resting her cheek on her hand.

"Well, when it isn't raining and there's nothing interesting to watch on Netflix, I go motorcycle riding."

"And what about you, Pidge?" Lance flashed her a smile, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I…Um, I mostly like playing video games like the _Homeworld_ saga and watching sci-fi movies and TV series, as well as space documentaries on Netflix."

"Oh really? What a coincidence. Cause, you know, Keith here is also a big space nerd, right Keith?" he casually said, and Keith froze, his fork halfway to his mouth.

"Uhh… Yeah, I guess so." he awkwardly replied and put his fork down, his dark blue-grey eyes darting from Lance to Pidge. "I…I mean, I've only watched _Star Wars_ a dozen times in my life, and I still have trouble understanding the difference between a black hole and a dark star, but I've always wanted to be a space pilot, ever since I was thirteen. That's why I'm studying aerospace engineering at Garrison University." he admitted, staring directly into Pidge's molten caramel eyes.

"Aerospace engineering huh?" reaching for the bottle at the center of the table, Pidge poured herself another glass of water and smiled, much to Keith's relief. "Tell me more about it." she said, bringing the glass to her lips.

"Okay, so I have this professor, Iverson, and I swear, he is a total pain in the ass…"

From the other side of the table, Allura witnessed the whole exchange between them and held back a triumphant grin, sharing a knowing look with Lance. It had taken them a little longer than what they had expected, but it seemed that their respective roommates had finally hit it off.

" _Now let's see which one works up first the courage to ask for the other's phone number."_

* * *

After paying their check, the four of them stood up from their table and left the restaurant.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye…" sighed Allura, adjusting her white purse on her right shoulder. "We should do this again sometime." she added, giving both Keith and Lance a goodbye hug.

"Sure. Anytime you want, Princess." Lance winked at her, and she bit her lip to keep herself from smiling.

Standing next to them, Pidge shook her head at Lance's flirting and shoved her arms through the sleeves of her denim jacket, before turning to Keith.

"It was nice meeting you. I really had a good time." she told him, fidgeting a bit with her hands.

"Me too." he answered, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Good luck with your semester project."

"Thank you. Don't let Iverson push your buttons." Pidge said in a playful tone and Keith forced a smile, despite the hollow feeling in his chest.

"I'll try my best, though I can't make any promises."

"Okay. See you around, guys."

Keith watched the two girls walk away and the hollowness within him grew larger, threatening to swallow him whole.

" _This is stupid. It's not like I'll never see her again, she's Allura's roommate after all… Besides, I go to the same university as her, so there's a good chance we'll bump into each other at the cafeteria or the library… Is it because I find her cute, or because she likes the same things as me? Or is it because_ _…_ _"_

Suddenly Lance nudged him in his side with his elbow, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What the heck are you waiting for?" his roommate told him with a scowl and motioned towards Pidge's retreating figure. "It's blindly obvious that you've taken an interest in her, or else you wouldn't be standing here looking so mopey, so quit brooding and go ask her out for quiznak's sake, Mullet." he added and put a hand on Keith's back, literally pushing him forward.

"Wait!" Keith called after them and the girls turned around. "Um, I was just wondering if… You know…" his voice trailed off, and he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

"…Yeah?" Pidge asked in a tentative voice.

"Do you wanna go grab some coffee next Monday after class… with me? I…I mean, if you don't mind."

"Right, I…I mean sure, I'd love to." she answered, and Keith felt his heart start racing.

"Okay…" he managed to say and pulled out his phone. "What's your number?"

Once she had been added to his contact list, Keith quickly sent her a "hello" via text.

"There you go. Now we have each other's numbers." he told her and Pidge nodded, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Great. See you next Monday, Keith."

And then she got up to her tiptoes and put her hands on his shoulders, kissing him on the cheek.

* * *

 **A/N:** Since this is my last fic for this year, I just wanted to wish you all a happy new year (and also a happy new decade!) in advance.

See you all again next year fellow Kidgers, hopefully sooner than later!

PS: I usually publish updates about me or the fics I'm working on (no WIPs at the moment) on my profile page, so if anyone wants to know how I'm doing or if a new fic will be published soon, just check it out.


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